Dr. Patricia Gorman
Serving couples in-person in Amherst, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Licensed Psychologist: # 6304
Massachusetts Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist: # 76
Personally Speaking
After more than 35 years as a family therapist and psychologist, I’m still learning. Every couple I’ve worked with has taught me something new about what it means to be human, to love well, and to face life’s struggles with grace. For that, I am deeply grateful.
I bring a strong foundation in evidence-based couples work, including the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy. But for me, this work is more than just technique. It’s sacred. When a couple sits in front of me, they’re entrusting me with their hope—the hope to love and be loved more fully. I hold that with care, respect, and a sense of awe.
One of the best teachers I’ve had in this work has been the Argentine Tango.
I’ve danced tango for years. It’s taught me how connection thrives not through control or perfection, but through attunement, responsiveness, and flow. Partners must listen to each other, share the lead, and allow the relationship itself to move.
If one person overthinks the steps or tries too hard to please, the dance loses its natural rhythm. When couples feel awkward, unstable, or disconnected, I notice where the dance has broken down—and together, we begin to restore ease, balance, and grace.
Life throws a lot at couples. Stress, loss, change—all of it impacts how we move together. My role is to help couples recognize where the rhythm falters and where a different step, a softer hold, or a more honest gesture can bring them back to each other.
I want couples to experience the deep pleasure of being attuned—not just emotionally, but relationally. It’s possible to relax into a secure embrace and rediscover the music of your relationship.
My Amherst office is calm and welcoming.
Life throws a lot at couples. Stress, loss, change—all of it impacts how we move together. My role is to help couples recognize where the rhythm falters and where a different step, a softer hold, or a more honest gesture can bring them back to each other.
I want couples to experience the deep pleasure of being attuned—not just emotionally, but relationally. It’s possible to relax into a secure embrace and rediscover the music of your relationship.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of serving in private practice, outpatient community settings, and academic leadership. I directed the Family Therapy Team at the University of Massachusetts Psychological Services Center and served as Program Director for Marriage and Family Therapy graduate programs at both Springfield College and the University of Saint Joseph. I’ve also trained future therapists across New England for decades.
We came into the intensive with a marriage on the brink. Communication was breaking down, and I didn’t have much faith that therapy could help. But Dr. Patricia Gorman was extraordinary—thoughtful, skilled, and deeply prepared. She had clearly read our Big Big Books and knew our story before we walked in the door. She balanced active listening with gentle guidance and helped us access the hard conversations we’d avoided for years.
Whether supervising, presenting at national conferences, or working one-on-one with a couple, my focus has always been the same: to stay curious, stay present, and invite people into conversations that heal.
Tango taught me how to move in rhythm with another. Therapy taught me how to listen deeply to what’s unspoken. Both are practices of connection. And both can be learned.
I look forward to welcoming you to Amherst, Massachusetts for a couples therapy intensive that supports you in rediscovering the rhythm of your relationship—together.
